How do we become good? What is the process by which we acquire the virtues? We examine these question by focusing on some key concepts in Mencius’s account of moral development such as reflection and extension. This discussion also centers on Mengzi 1A7 and the famous “king and the ox” passage that has been the subject of much conversation and debate. Continue reading
The newest issue of Asian Studies just recently came out through The University of Ljubljana. Please read more to find the table of contents. Additionally, you can also see the full issue through this link. Continue reading
What is the nature and source of morality? Are human beings naturally inclined toward moral goodness? The early Confucian thinker Mencius (Mengzi) believed that human beings by nature possessed certain moral sprouts that could be nurtured and developed into robust virtues. In this episode we explore Mencius’s account of these moral sprouts, examining both philosophical and psychological justifications for their existence. Continue reading
In the history of Chinese thought the Sunzi Bingfa plays many different roles. It has influenced ways of thinking about politics and warfare, but also efficacy in many arenas, and even environmental issues. The Sunzi Bingfa is also written in a way that provides a great introduction to reading classical Chinese, making it a useful text for students to read for many different reasons. In this course we will do a close reading of the Sunzi Bingfa.
Led by: Dimitra Amarantidou, University of Macau, and Paul J. D’Ambrosio, East China Normal University
A message from Thomas Radice:
Thomas Radice is editing A Cultural History of Confucianism in Antiquity, the first of a six-volume series to be published by Bloomsbury, and is looking for contributors. Each volume in the series covers the same eight themes: Texts, Arts, Politics, Metaphysics, Ethics, Rituals & Traditions, Comparisons, and Gender. Chapters run about 10,000 words. Currently, he needs contributors for Metaphysics, Ethics, Rituals & Traditions, Arts, and Gender in early China until Qin. If you are interested, please feel free to contact him for other details at RadiceT1@SouthernCT.edu.
SUNY has just published Philippe Major’s book Confucian Iconoclasm: Textual Authority, Modern Confucianism, and the Politics of Antitradition in Republican China. It provides a new interpretation of the rise of modern Confucian philosophy in Republican China, which the author argues in its most successful form is nearly as iconoclastic as May Fourth discourse. A description of the book is available here, and the book is available in open access format (thanks to Swiss tax payers!) here.
The Journal of Confucian Philosophy and Culture is delighted to announce the publication of Issue 40. This volume is dedicated to the special theme, “Towards a More Comprehensive Moral Psychology: Integrating East Asian Perspectives,” and has been curated by guest editor Doil Kim. It features five articles that delve deeply into this subject.
In addition to the special theme articles, it includes an individual article and a book review. This includes the Scholar’s Corner section by Halla Kim, titled “Korean Philosophy Today: Retrospect and Prospect,” and a book review by Alex Haskins on the Handbook of Confucianism in Modern Japan, edited by Shaun O’Dwyer. JCPC welcomes contributions from qualified authors worldwide, both in the form of articles and book reviews. The full volume is available online at http://jcpc.skku.edu/
Bridge 21 Publications is happy to announce that they have recently published a new book titled The Confucian Tradition: Between Religion and Humanism by Guoxiang Peng. In this book, the author reviews the Confucian tradition through two concepts: religion and humanities. The book covers the major phases of the development of Confucianism and includes relevant ideas of modern Western disciplines even going so far as the compare Eastern and Western thinkers. Please click here to check out the book and for more information.
The Journal of Confucian Philosophy and Culture is pleased to announce the publication of Issue 39. This issue features a Scholar’s Corner section by Ellen Y. Zhang titled “The Ethics of Hospitality: Tracing the Confucian Other,” five articles covering a range of topics in Confucian philosophy and political theory, with contributions that span historical analysis to contemporary applications, and a Feature Book Review of Kyung Rok Kwon’s Confucian Sentimental Representation: A New Approach to Confucian Democracy by Sor-hoon Tan.
The full volume is available online at http://jcpc.skku.edu/
